Five Nights at the Shinsengumi
by That Dastard Cerberus
Summary: It was a simple ad in the paper. Work as a night guard at the Shinsengumi Furusato History Museum, shift beginning at midnight and ending at 6 am. More specifically, keep an eye on the animatronics. It seems so simple, right?
1. Night 1

**Title**: Five Nights at the Shinsengumi

**Author**: That Dastard Cerberus

**Characters (central focus)**: Ibuki Ryuunosuke

**Rating**: T

**Warnings for the reader: **Ț̢̳͍̘̥̮̲ḫ͈͕̳̬i͡s͔̖͈̫̗͠ ҉̥ͅi̘͇̕s͉͙̭̪͎͓̣ ͈̤̯̟͞a̹̤̯ ̵̠̼̣̗̻̮͖h͙͎̲͙͙͓̠ó̳͔͕̹̖͔̖r̞̱͈̗̹̦r̘̫̹̭͝o͓̹̲̟̬r̷̻̦̠̺ ̟s̘͉͖̣̀ͅt̛̞͙or̤̼̥y̘̯̘̪̹.̫͍̭́ ͔I͉̟̜̻t͕̲͍͞'̴̣̩̟̜̜̩ṣ̺̳ ̥̗̫̝a̸͎̼̥ ̴̼c̴͔̭͇͇̦̹̮r̰̦͉͕o̯̠͍̙̻s̵̙̬͈̺̰s̻̫͉̹̠o̩̙̱͈̬̱͡v̖͇̯͔̫̺̫̕e̲̤̦̦͙̖r̩̩͖͇ ̭͍̻̘̕w̸̼̗̫ͅị̝͖̠t͖̼̘͔h̵̼̣̰̘ ̳͓͢F̱̺i̼̪̹͖̠ͅv̖͈͎͚͓ͅe̥̗ ͍͍̣̘͚̠N̶͖̣̞̹͇͙̳i͖̬̬͡gh̺̠̬̤͓̱ts͚̼͉̤͟ ͈̘͉͕̪ͅa̹̮t̰̩̼͍ ͔̫͉̲̖̩̗F̡͕̤re̵̘̮d̥͓dy͢'̥s͘.̥

**Setting**: AU

**Summary**: It was a simple ad in the paper. Work as a night guard at the Shinsengumi Furusato History Museum, shift beginning at midnight and ending at 6am. More specifically, keep an eye on the animatronics. It seems so simple, right?

**Length:** five nights

**Genre: **horror, mystery, supernatural

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Idea Factory/Otomate and Scott do. But if I did . . . well, let's just say some people would lose their sanity, while others would . . . erm . . . yeah.

* * *

_**Help Wanted:**_

_**Hino Furusato History Museum**_

_**Museum looking for nightshift security guard. Nightshift from 12am to 6am.**_

_**Job entails monitoring cameras and ensuring safety of historical artifacts and replica animatronics.**_

_**Not responsible for injury/possible mishap.**_

_**19,920 yen a week.**_

_**To apply, call: 1-042-616-HINO**_

* * *

_~*Night 1*~_

Piece of crap office, I think as I slumped further into the chair. The fan off in the corner didn't even reach my face. But it was a job. A job that got me money for just sitting in a chair and looking at cameras—

RING-RINGRING! RING! RINGRINGRING!

I jumped. "What the hell?" I spat, jerking to my side. A phone flashing in face was placed on the tiny coffee to my left. I groaned, picking it up and glaring at it. I was about to open my mouth when this perky, upbeat voice filled the speakers, right into my ear.

_"Hello? Hello, is this on? Oh, oh hi! My name is Sen, and—oh, silly contraption-and I'm recording this message for you to help get you settled in for your job. Now, this might seem a little overwhelming, but as long as you keep on top of things, there's nothing to worry about. Now where did I put that—ah, there it is!"_

I rolled my eyes. Stupid, prerecording messages. Geez, these guys hire me and only give me a manual, and now they're leaving a lanky to give me a message via phone. Lazy asses.

She continued on, in that bubbly voice that was really annoying me, "Now, I'm supposed to read this to you, a sort of introduction to the museum, mostly legal stuff that they gave you when you signed up, so I'll just summarize this.

_"'Welcome to the historical home of the Shinsengumi, the Bakufu's last samurai corps. We of the Hino Tourism Division came no responsibility for damage to person or property. Should injury or death occur, a missing person's report will be filed in 90 days, blah blah blah."_

My eyes widened. The hell? Who puts that in a disclaimer? Then again, when have I ever bothered reading those? I snatched me out of my bag, all wrinkled up. I scoffed as I held the phone in place using my shoulder while unwrinkling the stupid thing both hands. There it was. In damn fine pitch. Bastards.

That's when I noticed the girl's tone changed. _"Ah, huh. N-now that might sound kinda bad, but seriously, there's nothing to worry about. Uh… So about the animatronics. Now, the funny thing about them is they get a bit quirky at night. This might come as a surprise, but these animatronics can actually move around at night. They're not allowed to during the day… Ahem, that's why you're stationed in our Time Travel exhibit. See, they tend to… wander around. Some are more mischievous than others, but you don't have to worry about them on your first day here."_

"Wait a second!" Move around during night?! No one told me this shit! I was about to scream into the phone when I remembered…

Damn bastards. But she kept talking, so I shut my trap and continued to listen. Dammit.

_"Now our museum spent a pretty penny on making these animatronics as life-like as possible. Which means they even programmed them to behave like the Shinsengumi, or, well, probably behaved. Thing is, and this is where your safety is concerned, they never got a night mode, so, uh… heh, they think YOU'RE an enemy of the Shogun. Heh, kinda silly, but hey, what can you do?"_

You have got to be kidding me. As she spoke, I felt my stomach drop. Against better judgment, I poked my head out of the office. The hallway was completely dark, save for a lone light that kept flickering on and off.

Creepy. Dammit, this was the worst idea I ever heard. And I did some pretty stupid things as a kid.

_"It's all technological mumbo jumbo, like, you wonder why they don't just turn them off, but oh no, servos and stuff, and well, that's just how corporate works, right? And what's really dumb is that they give them real swords. Ah-ha… So, the cameras… Ah yes the cameras. See, you only have so much power every night, and once you run out, that's it. Don't ask why, it's something about environmental concerns—cheap bastards—but everything you do uses power."_

Great, just great. Real swords. And now I've got limited power. Cheap corporate asses. Why not just hire some damn actors next time!

_"Even so, it is important to check the cameras every so often. No need for… surprises. Also, there's lights on both doors. Make sure to check those to keep them from trying to get into your office. Preserve power. Um, that's about it. Good luck and have a good night!"_

"Good night?!" I spat at the phone, but it was useless. In anger, I slammed it down, hearing the clunk echo slightly.

Crap.

This place was creepy at night.

Keeping my breathing easy, I noticed the clock of the phone. 12:15 am. You've got to be kidding me. I got to go through six hours of this?

Okay, Ryuunosuke, just run over everything you have to do. Check the cameras, make sure nothing ****ed up happens. Easy. Right?

* * *

2am:

Crap crap crap crap crap!

There were five animatronics in the Time Travel exhibit. There were FIVE.

But now? Now there was only four.

One of them moved.

One of them ****ing moved!

Where are you, where are you—

THERE!

One of them had moved into the maintenance closest. Get your ass fixed, why don't you?

* * *

3am:

THAT DAMN BOT MOVED AGAIN!

I actually managed to catch it quick. It just moved to the entrance hall where all the guests showed up. Damn thing gave me a heart attack.

* * *

4am:

This mother****ing robot is mocking me, I swear it.

I see it, just staring up into the camera. With those glassy, teal colored eyes. The thing's the shortest one, too! With this stupid, long ass ponytail and this blank, empty, expressionless face.

Damn, it looks too human. It looks like a damn human. But it's not.

I'm really feeling the uncanny valley right now.

Wait…

I check the camera again, glaring into that stupid fuzzy image.

One, two, three…

WHERE'S THE FOURTH?!

* * *

5am:

****ing piece of crap!

That stupid damn tall one started to move. I found it poking its head out of the men's restroom. Creep.

Worst part of this encounter were the eyes.

God damn those eyes.

They were black. Just… complete black. I'm pretty damn sure that thing had yellow eyes, but with the shadows all over its face, it got these freaky black eyes.

The only reason I even knew it was the other bot that moved was its red hair. Good thing these animatronics got distinct differences. Otherwise, I'd be crapping bricks.

Got to focus now. It's almost time. I can make it.

* * *

6am:

I ****ing made it.

Damn, that stressful. Those two bots had me sweating like crazy. They kept swapping places. It's like they were taunting me.

Stupid robots. Stupid pieces of metal.

Whatever. I'm tired. I need sleep. I need… to clear my head. Maybe even reconsider what I've gotten myself into.

Crap, just walking by those things after my shift… I swear, they were glaring at me.

* * *

**Want to read the uncensored version? Go to Ao3 version.**


	2. Night 2

_ ~*Night 2*~_

* * *

My second night on the job. You could say I wasn't looking forward to it. Who would, after all? I'm stuck alone in an office with killer robots waiting to gut me with sharp ordainments.

With my arms crossed, I leaned back against the chair, glaring at that stupid old fan that kept on spinning. Mocking me, probably. It wasn't until the phone rang that I broke eye contact, picking it up and regretting it immediately. Lanky bitch's back, with more bad news.

"**Howdy! Uhh, hey, second night. See, it's not so bad."**

_I'm sorry, but were you there when that freaky bot started moving?_ I thought as I listened. Her next words made the pit of my stomach sink.

"**Um, listen, I would check your cameras while you're listening to this. The boys seem to, uh, get more antsy with each day. So, uh, oh yes, the boys."**

Was she going to give me information on these things? Great, maybe that'll give me an edge. But, if she's as detailed as last night, I'm as screwed as I was last night. As I pulled the tablet, I kept my eyes on the switching cameras while listening to her. Hopefully this won't drain my battery.

"**Uh, I'm sure you've already noticed this, but each one of them has their own… personality, if you will. Toudou and Harada are the first to start moving around, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on them first. They tend to act separately, uh, especially Toudou. Harada's, uh, a bit different. He always goes into closets or rooms. It's almost like he's looking for something. But those two you need to really worry about for now… Oh, there's actually another."**

Another one? Shit, and here I thought I had to worry about two psycho robots! Practically on the edge of my seat, I glared at the cameras, especially at the ones called Harada and Toudou. I know there are five total animatronics. Apparently, they're all located in different parts of the exhibit. So as long as I can keep my eye on the ones moving around, I should be good… right?

"**You might want to look at the far end of the exhibit every so often. Not too often, mind you. The one there, uh, Okita, he doesn't like being watched."**

Okita, huh? I switched the camera to the location, eyeing the curtain covering the exhibit saying "SORRY OUT OF ORDER."

What the hell? Why do they want me to watch an out-of-order robot? Before I even had a chance to ponder that, the chick, Sen, (was her name?) began to talk again.

"**I actually forgot to disclose some information to you… uh, but corporate didn't want me to say anything about it. Still, it's probably something you should know. There was uh… an incident and—don't worry, she's alive, but… sorry, I'm not supposed to get choked up on this. It's actually amazing how well the human mind can adapt after being cut in the head… yeah."**

What the hell? I could actually hear the emotion in her voice. So she was capable of feeling? Gee, and here I thought I was dealing with a corporate dog. Still…

To hear another person had nearly died because of these things… that truly terrified me.

A cold chill ran down my spine, and I watched the cameras again, vaguely away of the phone lady saying,** "Well, I took up enough of your time. Keep up the good work, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!"**

I was alone again, with the knowledge of someone's near death hanging over my head.

I had to survive the night.

I couldn't fuck up.

* * *

1 A.M.

So far, so good.

Toudou had started moving, as usual. Really, there wasn't much about it that was terrifying. It was the shortest out of the group and all skinny, too. Really, it looked more like a marionette without strings than a robot. Still, it was wondering the halls. I had to keep an eye on it.

Everything else looked good. My heart had calmed down a bit since ending the phone call. I got this. I could do this. I had nothing to fear.

Checking the cameras again, my eyes met the animatronic's. Soulless, empty, dead eyes.

I shivered. Creepy.

* * *

2 A.M.

Harada began moving about. Nothing too crazy yet, but now I had two animatronics to worry about. Thinking about Toudou, I switched cameras real quick to where I last saw Toudou.

Still there. Good—

"SHIT!" My heart slammed itself into my throat once the screen suddenly warped into black and white static. No, no, no, no, no! I can't lose a camera! It's only 2 a.m.!

Not knowing what else to do, I switched cameras again and again, my breath fast and shallow, before finally catching sight of the Toudou animatronic in some random ass hallway.

Close. It was too close.

Wiping my sweaty palms on my pants, I checked the location that the phone lady warned me about. Still nothing. Honestly, why the hell did I even have to worry about that exhibit? It was down, after all.

Whatever. I had two psycho bots wandering around, out of my head. I had better things to worry about.

Like what exactly was that hallway Toudou was in.

* * *

3 A.M.

There's something behind the curtains of that closed off section.

There's definitely something there.

After spending the entire hour freaking out over every moment the Toudou bot made, I really didn't think about checking the curtain area. I mean, honestly, it's not like the phone lady gave me much about this exhibit.

But now I can definitely see something poking out inside the closed off exhibit.

A face. A freaking human-like face. I swear those green eyes are taunting me.

Not that it mattered, but screw it, I need to feel like I'm in power. I give those eyes the bird before changing cameras. Holy shit, who would have thought night guard was such an intense position?

Switching cameras, I saw the Toudou robot staring blankly into the camera. Something must be up with the tech, because its head kept glitching up and twisting and turning all weird. Kinda felt like something straight out of the Exorcist.

Damn, I always hated that movie.

* * *

4 A.M.

Two more hours to go. I could do this.

Eyes glancing back down at the tablet, I switched between cameras. Toudou dicking around in the hallways, Harada being a prick in the closet. There were too many jokes I could have made, but I'm not going to bother wasting brain cells on a robot that probably won't get the joke anyways.

In was in-between switching cameras that I noticed something. Urgently, I rushed back to the camera of the closed off exhibit, only to see the curtain pulled back and—

"SHIT!" I shouted, jumping out of my chair in a knee-jerk reaction and slamming the door button with my fist. It closed with a metallic thump. Still standing, I looked at the camera. It had switched to the hallway camera of the door I just closed.

A dark shadow sprinted down the hall, its evil green eyes gleaming and gone in a flash. Holy sh—

BANG BANG BANG!

I admit, I shrieked at the sound. I threw myself down on the chair, far away from the metal door and the killer robot most likely on the other hand. The banging continued for maybe another second, and then, as quickly as it started, it was gone.

That was close. Too close.

* * *

5 A.M.

The clock was so damn slow!

Just fifty minutes ago, I had barely survived an attack by the "out-of-order" Okita bot. And not even a second later, I saw the Harada bot lurking in the other hallway.

But I still had power. That's the one thing I had still had, and I was damn well going to use every drop of it to save my hide.

I glance at clock. Twenty-five minutes. Screw this, I'm risking it. I'm not a nightmare's play toy, I think as I stand up and press both buttons to shut the doors.

* * *

6 A.M.

Somehow I made through the night. Somehow, by some freaking miracle I made it. I don't know how, and I definitely know that that kind of luck won't be happening again tomorrow—

Oh god, I have to come back tomorrow. Why did I take this crappy job again?


End file.
